The present invention is directed to electrical apparatuses, and especially to electrical apparatuses that include at least one electrical device and are used in an environment that fosters corrosion or other undesirable atmospheric effects.
Electrical apparatuses such as integrated circuit packages or the like are often employed in an atmosphere that fosters corrosion of metal parts or corrosion in the vicinity of metal parts, such as electrical terminations that effect electrical connection with the apparatus. Corrosion has been known to cause electrical open circuits when it progresses sufficiently to interrupt an electrical path in an electrical termination. Corrosion has also been known to cause shorting between electrical terminations when it progresses sufficiently to establish a conductive bridge between terminations. In today's market with smaller more densely constructed packages, the likelihood of corrosion-caused shorting between termination structures is a significant problem.
Prior art attempts to reduce corrosion have included applying corrosion-inhibiting materials, such as benzotriazole (BTA), to circuitry after assembly. For example, BTA has been applied directly to electrical apparatuses such as integrated circuit (IC) components prior to carrying out soldering operations. Another corrosion reduction measure has provided for spraying BTA on assembled printed wiring board assemblies or products. Such additional steps contribute to complexity in manufacturing products by inserting additional steps into the manufacturing process.
It would be advantageous to provide for reducing corrosion without requiring additional manufacturing steps. This advantage is realized by the present invention in providing novel component parts for use in manufacturing an electrical apparatus or product. The component parts provided according to the present invention inherently include corrosion-resistant agents, thereby obviating any requirement for extra manufacturing or processing steps to apply such corrosion-resistant materials.